A Second Chance
by ZoeWhoWaited
Summary: Gibbs was convinced that after three failed marriages and the deaths of his first wife and daughter that he would die alone. In walks Ella Sullivan. A woman with a past that mirrors Gibbs. Could this be the second chance they both need and secretly long for? Gibbs/OFC
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I am in no way connected to NCIS. I am making no money off of this story.

Author's Note: This story is a Gibbs/OFC pairing. If this is not your thing you know how to use the back button. You've been warned so please no flames... although winter is on it's way to New England and I could use them to keep warm.

CHAPTER ONE

He noticed her the moment she stepped out of the elevator and judging by the goofy looks on theirfaces so had Tony and McGee. She wasn't tall but she wasn't short either. She wasn't dressed like an agent but she wasn't made up like a Barbie Doll. She was dressed in a pair of form fitting blue jeans that did nothing to hide the fact that she had a rather delicious backside. She paired this with a tight, red button down shirt and black high heeled boots. With the fit of her shirt it was easy to tell that God had blessed her top half as well as her bottom half. She had her bright red hair pulled up in a half ponytail so Gibbs could clearly see her face. If there was only one thing he would remember about this woman it was that she had the most unusual and oddly beautiful violet eyes. His eyes followed her as she made her way up the stairs and disappeared behind the closed door of Vance's office.

Tony was close to drooling when he said, "Boss, please tell me that Christmas has come early and that woman is a new recruit."

Casually strolling over Gibbs smacked the younger man upside the head. "If she is you may look but not touch. Remind me again what rule twelve is.''

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes. "Never date a co-worker.'' He huffed.

Gibbs phone went off with a text message from Director Vance demanding his presence in his office.

"Vance needs to see me. When I come back I'd like to see you actually working." He directed his comment at Tony as he strolled off towards the Director's office.

Tony threw a Nerf football at Ziva's desk to get her attention the moment Gibbs was out of site.

"What?!" She looked up and snapped.

"Someone has a crush." Tony sang with a smirk. He pointed towards their boss' empty desk.

"Who Gibbs? On whom?" Ziva gave him a look that clearly said that she thought he was insane.

McGee sat at his desk shaking his head at Tony and staying out of the conversation. He knew no good could come from gossipping about the boss.

"Elizabeth Taylor," Tony replied.

"You're telling me that Gibbs has a crush on a dead film actress?" Ziva was now officially confused and slightly worried for Tony's sanity.

Tony rolled his eyes with a bit of dramatic flare. "No, the woman with the violet eyes in Vance's office."

"Okay, but what does that woman have to do with Elizabeth Taylor?" McGee joined the conversation out of pure confusion.

"Elizabeth Taylor was famous for having violet eyes... and lots of husbands but you know what forget Elizabeth Taylor the point is..."

"Forget Elizabeth Taylor? I met her when I worked on a book about her. She was an icon." A Sweet, southern voice chided.

"And what is the point DiNozzo?" Oh, that was so not the voice that Tony wanted to hear and Gibbs took silent glee in the other agent's panic.

"The point is that Elizabeth Taylor was a legend who will be missed terribly," Tony said in a rush in an attempt to cover his ass. "What's up boss?"

"Tony, Ziva, McGee, I'd like you all to meet Ella Sullivan. She'll be tailing and documenting the team for the next few weeks."

"Why?" McGee asked. ''Are we under review boss?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Miss Sullivan is writing a book on the history and inner workings of NCIS. All of the proceeds will be going to the Navy/ Marine Corps Widow and Children Fund. The Director's ordered that she be given fall access."

"Welcome Ella" Ziva gave the other woman a polite smile.

"Thank you and I wish I could stay and get to know everyone but I have a son whose not capable of looking after himseIf just yet and a nanny that charges obscene overtime rates."

''I'll walk to you to the parking garage." Gibbs placed a hand at the base of her back and led her to the elevator.

Tony shot Ziva an I told you so look and mouthed, "Red hair,"

As Gibbs and Ella rode the elevator to the parking garage neither said a word. Gibbs walked her to her car and held open the door for her as she climbed behind the wheel.

"What time does team normally get here the morning?" She asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

Gibbs closed the door and answered her. "I get here at around seven, the team between eight and nine. Ella, you know you don't have to be here as early as us you know."

Ella started the car and laughed. "I have a one year old that wakes me at dawn. It's not like I'm not already awake. See you tomorrow Agent Gibbs."

As she pulled away Gibbs ran a hand over his face. Not only was Ella beautiful but she was also smart and very sweet. He was so screwed.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Gibbs arrived to work exhausted. He had tossed and turned all night. Image's of a red headed beauty dancing around inside his mind. As he was parking in his usual spot a familiar red Volvo pulled into the space beside him. Stepping out of his car he made his way to the driver's side of Ella's car. When she stepped out Gibbs noted that she looked more exhausted than he felt. He had to hold back a laugh when he saw that she was clutching an extra large Calf-Pow in the hand that wasn't holding a leather notebook.

"Rough night?'' He asked as he nodded at her caffine overdose in a cup.

Ella laughed and nodded as the two made their way to the parking garage's elevators. "You could say that. l was up until midnight finishing the introduction of my book. Didn't get to bed until well after one And than Henry woke me at four. Apparently daybreak is his new favorite playtime."

Gibbs chuckled as they stepped onto the elevator and he pressed the button that would take them to the offices of NCIS. ''Henry's your son I take it?"

A bright, warm smile lit up Ella's face as the elevator began accending. "Yeah, he's the light of my life but he can be a handful. He just started walking last month and now he's into everything. Our poor cat's in hiding because he's taken to chasing her and pulling her tail."

The doors opened and the two of them made their way through the empty offices and to Gibbs' desk. Gibbs reclined in his chair while Ella perched on the end of his desk. Her long legs encased in a pair of white skinny jeans were within reach and it took all Of his willpower to keep his hands to himself.

"I remember when my daughter was just starting to walk and talk." Gibbs smiled fondly. ''It seemed like overnight she started getting into everything in reach."

Ella laughed. "That's Henry right now. How old is your daughter?"

Gibbs smile faded and the pain in his voice was clear to anyone who listened. "Kelly and her mother were murdered twenty years ago. Kelly was only eight."

Ella reached over and covered his hand with her own much smaller one. "That's horrible. I would say I'm sorry but you've probably heard that enough over the years. l lost my little girI too and I know those words mean nothing."

Gibbs took her by surprise when he flipped the hand she was holding palm up and interlaced their fingers."What happened to your little girl?" He asked softly.

Ella took a deep breath and began her story. ''Her name was Annabeth and I had her when I was eighteen. Her father and I were young but we loved each other. We grew up in this small town in Kansas where jobs are really hard to come by. Whitney's parents owned a local sporting goods store and l was raised on a farm. He wanted to give me and Annabeth a better life. He joined the Marines the minute he turned eighteen. We were married at the local courthouse the day before he deployed to Iraq. He was killed in a fire fight when I was seven months pregnant. Annabeth never got the chance to meet her daddy. She was a sickly baby from the word go. When she was two doctors diagnosed her with leukemia. No matter what the doctors tried the disease just kept progressing. I held her in my arms when she took her last breath. It was four days before her fourth birthday. We buried her next to her father in Smallville." She extracted her hand from his and pulled her wallet out of her purse. She handed it to Gibbs so he could look at her pictures.

One of the pictures was of a little girl in Dora the Explorer pajamas sitting on a rocking with a big smile on her face. She had the same violet eyes as her mother and the scarf around her head gave away the fact that the happy little girl was seriously ill. Gibbs didn't know what to say. Here was a woman who had lived through much of the same pain as he himself had. She had trusted him with her story and he wanted to find a way to repay her. He really needed to think about what he was getting himself into.

TBC


End file.
